TIPS FOR YOUR FIRST HORSE

Buying a horse of your own is almost every equestrian girl’s dream! It is a miracle coming true, the miracle of the bond between a girl and her very own horse.

If you have dreamed this day since you were a child and saved up to buy that one horse until now, we get you! It is the most exciting thing happening in your life. However, there are so many things to take into consideration and so many things to learn before bringing your new best friend home. It is ok to be extremely excited but you should be wise when making decisions. 

• Decide what you want: If you haven’t chosen the horse that you want to buy and don’t know where to start, it can be quite challenging - especially if there are many options-. We recommend you to define which discipline you will ride with your horse. You can ride dressage, showjumping, eventing, western, or just pleasure riding. After defining the discipline, it will be easier to choose the breed and age. You can learn more about the breeds and their capabilities with quick research. 
  
  
  

• Be careful when buying: You need to check the health condition, training conditions, personality, and general background information about the horse before you decide to buy him/her. It is wise to get an experienced person with you to help. You can ask the owner or another rider to ride first so that you can observe their attitude to each other. 
  
  
  

Get Ready to Bring The Horse Home

• Prepare the environment: When preparing the environment for your horse, there are many details you should consider. The environment should be safe and appropriate for the horse’s happiness. “The concern for a first-time buyer should, most importantly, be the safety of the horse,” said Martin. If you are planning to board at a stable, you should be careful with the conditions. Don’t hesitate to visit different barns and stables. Ask questions to grooms, trainers, and other horse owners. Check the way they feed and water the horses, the way they behave horses, and if the barn is clean enough for your horse’s health. If the barn doesn’t provide, arranging a veterinarian and a farrier will come in handy when you need them. 
  
  
  

• Learn to ride and care: If you don’t know how to ride yet, you can learn to ride on another horse with the help of a trainer so that you won’t have difficulties when you start to ride your own horse. You should also learn how to take care of a horse. How to feed, water, groom, and tack up… You can learn these from a horse-crazy friend or check our previous blog post “Horse Care Tips and Tricks”.
  
  
  

• Prepare your psychology: Never forget that owning a horse is a great responsibility. Once you sign the papers and buy him/her, you are responsible for everything. You should mentally prepare yourself for this. You can have many issues like your horse can hurt either himself or you. You should be patient if the horse doesn’t improve or learn the way you want. You should learn how to read his/her mind if you want to create a strong bond.
  
  
  

• Let him adjust to the new home: Many horses have difficulties adjusting to their new home. Therefore the first few days can be challenging for you. Just let him/her learn around and get accustomed to the new home. 
  
  
  

• Adjust yourself to the new life: Adjusting to a new horse-full life can be difficult for you too. If you are a working equestrian, you might need to make plans to spare time for your horse. You will need to get accustomed to barn smelling, tiresome days. 
  
  
  

• Check the care: Make sure your horse is well taken care of. A horse needs a clean stall, clean food, clean water source in addition to regular exercise and a clean danger-free pasture. Also, don’t forget to get a regular hoof and teeth care every once in a while.
  
  
  

• Choose the correct tack: If you have never bought tack for a horse, it can be tricky at first. You need to learn the correct tack pieces you need and the correct size of your horse. Don’t forget to check the quality and the material that the tack is made of. Try to choose the best materials for your horse’s health. 
  
  
  

• Start Training: When you both are ready to start riding, you should set a riding schedule according to your goals. At this point, you should choose your trainer carefully and get some help in setting goals. Starting from simpler goals, you can higher the level. If you feel like you are not making progress or not improving your skills, don’t worry. Try to be patient and search for the reasons why you are not improving. 
  
  
  
  

• Avoid riding mistakes: Every new horse owner can make simple mistakes but there some dangerous mistakes that you should avoid. Therefore, you might want to start learning as fast as you can about riding, getting advice from professionals. You can check our blog about the common riding mistakes and how to avoid them here.
  
  
  
• Exercise to keep your form: Horse riding is a sport that keeps you in good shape, yes. But is this enough? Actually, you need to exercise regularly to keep your muscles and bones in good shape to ride better. Yoga, for example, can help you improve your performance in the saddle. 
  
  
  

• The final tip from us: Never forget to enjoy each moment you spend with your horse! Every single second you spend with him/her is precious!